Method of ginning cotton.



No. 747,315. g I Patented becember 15,1903. UNITED STATE PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN D. BRANTLEY, OF BLAOKSHEAR, GEORGIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE A. P. BRANTLEY COMPANY, OF BLACKSHEAR, GEORGIA, A CORPORA- TION OF GEORGIA.

METHOD oF GINNING COTTON.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 747,315, dated December 15,- 1903.

Applioa-tion filed October 8, 1903. Serial No. 178,295. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: ered, the air-drying of the cotton fibers is Be itknown that LBENJAMIN D.BRANTLEY, prevented to such an extent thatthe natural a citizen of the United States, residing at strength, fineness, smoothness, and luster or Blackshear, in the county of Pierce and State silkiness of the fibers are preserved and the of Georgia, have invented certain new and fibers are prevented from becoming harsh,

useful Improvements in Methods of Ginning brittle, and fiuffy. Cotton; and I do declare the following to be In carrying out my invention the ginninga full, clear, and exact description of the inroom is equipped with humidifiers of any vention, such as will enable others skilled in well-known approved pattern or type, located the art to which it appertains to make and at appropriate or convenient points and of 60 use the same. the number desired, so as to artificially hu- My invention relates to a method of ginmidify the atmosphere of the room in which ning cotton, and has for its object to prevent the gins are located, so that the cotton fibers air-drying during the operation of ginning during the ginning operation will be subjectand to preserve the natural properties and ed to orbe under the influence of this artifi- 65 characteristics of the cotton fiber, of which cially-ereated humidified atmosphere, wherethe cottoh is usually deprived during the by the airdrying incident to the ginning ginning operation. operation as ordinarily conducted is prevent- In passing the seed-cotton through the gins ed to such an extent that the natural propthe cotton fiber is more or less under the inerties or characteristics of the fibers are pro- 70 fluence of air-currents created by the rapid tected against injury or impairment and rerotation of the members of the gin which septained by the fibers, so that the cotton after arate the fibers from the seeds, and where the being ginned will possess the strength, fine cotton is impelled or moved from the gins to ness,softness,andlusteror silkiness which are the compress by forced air-currents or sucdistinguishing characteristics of sea-island 75 tion the cotton fibers come still farther unorlong-staple cotton. The degree of humidity der the influence of air-currents, all of which given to the atmosphere may vary without are calculated to cause air-drying, and this departing from the spiritof my invention and to a greater or less extent deprives the cotthe discovery which Ihave made, and a satiston fibers of their natural properties and factory degree of humidity, ascertained by 80 characteristics. This is particularly so with practicing my invention, may be from to sea-island or long-staple cotton. This and I have found that four humidifiers species of cotton naturally possesses great that will give that degree of humidity for length, strength, fineness, smoothness, and an approximate area of fifty-five thousand 35 luster or silkiness of fiber, which properties square feet will produce most satisfactory reor characteristics under the ginning operarults. These figures, however, are given tion as ordinarily practiced are more or less merely for purposes of illustration and withimpaired, and when thus impaired the fibers out theintent of being limited thereto in pracbecome somewhat fluffy and brittle and lose ticing my invention. I have also observed 40 some of their silkiness and luster, which imthat as incident to this method the cotton is pairment is due to the air-drying incident prevented from losing any undue weight durto the conditions prevailing during the gining the ginning operation. ning operation. While the invention is particularly bene- With the view of preserving the natural ficial in the ginning of sea-island or long-sta- 5 properties and characteristics and preventple cotton, yet I am not to be restricted in its ing the impairment mentioned, especially so application to the ginning of sea-island or in sea-island or long-staple cotton, my invenlong-staple cotton Where beneficial results tion consists in subjecting the cotton to an may be obtained by its application to the ginartificially-humidified atmosphere during the ning of short-staple or upland cotton, as

' 5o ginning operation, whereby, asl have discovl the invention lies in the discovery that the I00 phere and subjecting the cotton during theginning operation to the influence of such created atmosphere, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

BENJAMIN D. BRANTLEY.

Witnesses:

P. L. POMEROY, M. C. MOALPIN. 

